All over the world, children feel threatened by the monsters under the bed. All the parents who remember their own childhood can confirm these fears. What is important is how they arise and what responsible parents can do about it. How can parents as builders or tenants prevent anxiety in advance through planning or construction measures? How can they and their offspring stop a child’s fear of the dark?
How to stop a child’s fear of school trips
Anxiety development and home environment to stop a child’s fear of the dark
Independence in children increases from the age of two, so that they ae able t sleep alone in the children’s room. At the same time, toddlers at this age develop a thriving imagination. On the lonely nights in the children’s room come
- Fear of loss to parents,
- unprocessed everyday problems,
- Fear of the uncontrollable dark and
- ununderstood events,
before falling asleep and in the children’s dreams. They are transformed by the children into concrete fears.
First of all, old buildings must therefore be maintained to stop a child’s fear of the dark. Rooms with walls where water pipes gurgle or other noises are made, amplify the fears, so that the children lie awake in it full of fear.
The same applies to all types of wooden floors, especially floorboards, as they were used in old corridors or as stairs used in the past. Anyone who remembers their own childhood will admit that the nocturnal creaking of planks or cracking wood can be quite frightening. In general, parents should also look for a quiet residential area where non-night noises (disco, pub, restaurant) keep children from their sleep or where even the parents do not feel safe (crime).
Initial reactions, room planning
First of all, it is important for parents to take the fears seriously. Anyone who dismisses the fears with phrases or even laughs at his toddler harms him. When children call for their parents from their rooms, cry or crawl to bed, responsible parents should take their time and talk to them or cuddle a bit. If young parents build a house and consider the use, size and cut of the rooms, they should plan the nursery next to or near the parental bedroom.
A nursery does not have to be large, but due to the mentioned anxiety conditions, which usually accompany the child to preschool age, there should be few projections, angles or irregularities. After all, for toddlers, every immovable, invisible niche is enlivened with monsters, witches, giants, or goblins. But building dimensions, the division of the rooms and the aforementioned calming of the child are not a permanent solution. After all, parents also have to sleep at night. So what can they do to enable children to respond to the fears on their own?
Light as a solution
Many of the fears arise from the child’s failure to cope with the darkness. The uncontrollable darkness in corners, corners, under projections, in children’s furniture or behind curtains is a fantasy of fear in the perception of a toddler. One way is to give the children a flashlight that they can always reach at the bedside within reach. This allows the toddlers to briefly light up in the appropriate room area and the threat is eliminated within seconds to stop a child’s fear of the dark.
Another possibility is illuminated images, which are available in various variants. Small LED lights integrated into the picture illuminate the canvases printed with butterflies, birds or cars, which can be attached to the room wall.
More tips to stop a child’s fear of the dark
Parents should try to be good role models and not to show their children fears (spiders, darkness). Otherwise they could be learned. When they talk to their offspring, they should name the ghosts and possibly draw them. This way the monsters can be banished.
Another popular means of protection against night-time fear are brave cuddly toys, which always stand by the toddler. It also helps to read fairy tales or children’s stories to toddlers. After all, they usually have a happy ending, and the parents’ voice calms down. This allows the child to fall asleep relaxed and calm and the fears are defeated.
